macOS Desktop widgets provide glanceable information and quick interactions without forcing you to open full applications. You can check the weather, control your smart home devices, view your calendar, or track your battery levels directly from your desktop.
With the introduction of macOS Sonoma, Apple significantly upgraded this feature, allowing you to drag widgets out of the hidden Notification Centre and place them permanently on your desktop wallpaper. Even better, thanks to Apple’s ecosystem integration, you can now place iPhone widgets on your Mac desktop without needing the corresponding app installed on your computer.
How to Add Widgets to Your Desktop
Adding a new widget is a highly visual, drag-and-drop process.
- Right-click (or hold the Control key and click) on any empty space on your Mac desktop wallpaper.
- Select Edit Widgets… from the pop-up context menu.
A comprehensive Widget Gallery will slide up from the bottom of your screen. This gallery displays every widget available from both native Apple applications and third-party apps you have installed.
- Scroll through the list of applications on the left sidebar to find the specific app you want (e.g., Weather or Calendar).
- In the main viewing area, you will see different sizes and styles of the widget (Small, Medium, Large).
- When you find the widget you want, simply click and drag it out of the gallery and drop it anywhere on your desktop.
- Click the Done button in the bottom right corner of the screen when you are finished arranging your layout.
How to Customise an Existing Widget
Many widgets allow you to customise the specific information they display. For example, you can change the Weather widget to display the forecast for a different city, or set the Clock widget to a different time zone.
- Right-click directly on the widget you have already placed on your desktop.
- Select Edit [Name of Widget] from the context menu (e.g., “Edit Weather”).
- A small configuration panel will flip over on the widget itself. Make your desired changes, such as selecting a new location.
- Click anywhere on the empty desktop to save the changes and flip the widget back around.
How to Remove a Widget
If your desktop becomes too cluttered, removing a widget takes only a second.
- Right-click on the widget you want to delete.
- Select Remove Widget from the top of the context menu.
Alternatively, you can open the Widget Gallery again (by right-clicking the desktop and selecting “Edit Widgets…”). When the gallery is open, every widget currently on your desktop will display a small minus (-) icon in its top-left corner. Clicking that icon will instantly delete the widget from your screen.